The Center for Family and Human Rights is a United States-based advocacy group, founded in 1997, in order to affect policy debate at the United Nations and other international institutions. It was formerly known as the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. The 501 organization describes its own mission as "to defend life and family at international institutions and to publicize the debate".
Founding and Subsequent Activity
Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute was formally incorporated on 11 August 1997 in Suffolk County, NY with three directors - Seth Perlman, Clifford Perlman and Jane Burke-Robertson Initially nicknamed CAFHRI, the group was founded as an independent non-profit corporation by Human Life International-Canada and then with ongoing support from the headquarters of Human Life International, based in Front Royal, Virginia. Later nicknamed C-Fam, which subsequently became the group's corporate name, part of the group's mission was to work closely with the Holy See delegation at the UN. Austin Ruse subsequently replaced Anne Noonan as Director and shortly thereafter became president. In July 2013, Ruse was identified as a key member of Groundswell, a coalition of conservative activists and journalists attempting to make political change within the United States from behind the scenes. Ruse is also the author of two books; Fake Science published by Regnery, and Littlest Suffering Souls published by Tan Books. The London-based Guardian newspaper reported in May 2019 that C-Fam has "emerged from the extreme right fringe on abortion, sexual orientation and gender identity to become a powerful player behind the scenes at the UN. With a modest budget and a six-strong staff led by the president Austin Ruse, it has leveraged connections inside the Trump administration to enforce a rigid orthodoxy on social issues, and helped build a new US coalition with mostly autocratic regimes that share a similar outlook." In a subsequent article, Reuters reported, "Emails and memos from U.S. officials at the U.N. obtained by Reuters show the influence of the Center for Family and Human Rights, or C-Fam, a private U.S. research institute formed to affect policy at the U.N. to align with conservative Catholic views." In 2015, Stefano Gennarini publicly criticised Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the Vatican, by accusing him of opposing the negotiating position of the Holy See on the issue of sexual and reproductive health. He also went on to accuse economist Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and a senior UN advisor, and UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon of actively promoting abortion. This received a strong rebuke from Professor Margaret Archer of the University of Warwick, president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, who referred to "distorted criticism" and raised concern at Gennarini's "understanding of Catholic Social Doctrine”. This, in turn, drew a rebuke from influential Catholic journalist Phil Lawler who wrote, "Archer’s ad hominem approach, and her unwillingness to engage the real issues in the debate, were unworthy of a social scientist. Her uncharitable attitude is unworthy of someone representing the Holy See." A number of prominent conservative Catholics served on the organization's board of patrons. However, in 2015 a Catholic priest on the board resigned in protest at Ruse's comment, "The hard-left human-hating people that run modern universities should be taken out and shot." Ruse insisted this was a figure of speech and issued a formal apology.
The Southern Poverty Law Center has listed C-Fam as an anti-LGBThate group. The SPLC has characterized the institute as being "heavily focused on global anti-LGBT work", citing its opposition to United Nations efforts to protect LGBT rights and to study and prevent anti-LGBT violence, and praise of American anti-gay activist Scott Lively. In a statement posted on its website, C-Fam responded that SPLC's criteria is biased against its "conservative opponents"; that SPLC has been accused of inflating its list of hate groups; and that the charges were false.
C-Fam's Philanthropy
C-Fam supports the Washington, D.C. AudiBest Buddies Challenge, an annual fundraising and sporting event in order to benefit people with developmental challenges.
